Air flow deflector device



June 14, 1960 J. L. SCHUCKER E 2,940,375

AIR FLOW DEFLECTOR DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. '7, 1954 INVENTOR. James L schucker y Clarence I. Vellner,

Their A tforhey June 14,. 1960 J. 1.. SCHUCKER ET 2,940,375

AIR FLOW DEF'LECTOR DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. '7, 1954 INVENTOR. James L.Schucker By Clarence I. Vellner.

2 2.Caoala1,

heir A rforney Uted States Patent O AIR FLOW DEFLECTOR DEVICE James L. Schncker, Royal Oak, and Clarence I. Vellner,

Detroit, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 7, 1954, Ser. No. 454,480

3 Claims. (CI. 98-40) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to an air outlet grill for use on air cool ing and conditioning cabinets.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved air outlet grill for adjustably directing and controlling the flow of air out of the grill in a plurality of directions.

Another object of our invention is to provide in the air passage of a frame of an air outlet grill for an air cooling apparatus or cabinet a plurality of sets of intersecting vanes for controlling the direction of air leaving the passage and which sets of vanes may have their positions adjusted simultaneously and/or independent of one another.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, it is a still further object of our invention to provide a plurality of sets of intersecting vanes in an air outlet grill with a single or common actuator movable in one plane to adjust the position of the vanes of one set thereof, movable in another different plane to adjust the position of the vanes of the other set thereof independent of the position or movement of the one set of vanes and movable in still another plane intermediate its one and another difierent planes of movement to simultaneously move and adjust the position of the vanes of both sets of vanes.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown. I In the drawings:

Figure l is a front view of an air cooling and conditioning cabinet having two of our improved outlet grills incorporated therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing one of our improved outlet grills;

Figure 3 is a front view of the outlet grill shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the pivotal mounting of a common grill vane actuator to the grill structure;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the common actuator showing its connection to a vane of each of the sets of vanes employed in our grill;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4 showing a means for connecting or tying the vanes of one set thereof to each other;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Figure 2 showing a member connecting or tying vanes of another set to each other;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 4 showing a ball-like portion of the actuator movably disposed in a socket on the grill;

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Figur'e'3 showing the pivotalmounting of a vaneupon thegrillframej'a'nd' ice Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 10- -10 of Figure 2 showing the mounting of vanes upon a divider member inthe grill structure.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 thereof an air conditioning unit, generally represented by the reference character 10, of the type adapted to be supported on a window sill of a room and having two air outlet grills, generally represented by the reference characters 11 and 12, constructed in accordance with this invention mounted in side-by-side relation in a wall of unit 10. A refrigerating system within unit 10 cools air entering the unit and a fan or blower therein discharges the cooled air out of the unit through the grills 11 and 12 into a space or room to be conditioned.

Each outlet grill 11 and 12 comprises a substantially rectangular main frame 14 bounding an elongated air outlet passage or'slot 16 therein through which the cooled or conditioned air flows or is discharged. A plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontally extending air deflector plates, blades or vanes 17 are disposed within passage 16 and extend along the length of this passage or slot. Vanes 17 are pivotally mounted upon a flange 18 "along one of the short sides of frame 14 (see Figure 3) and are pivotally mounted at their other end 'to a metal divider piece 19 secured, in anysuitable manner, to frame 14 intermediate the two grill structures 11 and 12 (see Figures 3 and 10). the air outlet grill 12 disclosed with one'or a first set of vanes. Each end of the vanes 17 is provided withfa round projection 21 which extends into and through suit able round horizontally aligned holes provided in the flange 18 and in divider 19 for pivotally mounting the vanes to frame 14. The axis of the mounting projections 21 of each vane 17 of the one set of vanes are allupper and lower legs '24 and 26, extending over the uppermost and lowermost vanes 17 respectively, and a tail 27 (see Figure 4). Each leg 24 and 26 of the vanes 23 have a round projection 28 thereon extending outwardly therefrom into a suitable round hole provided in the flange 29-(seeFigu1-es 3, 4 and 9) along the long sides of frame 14 to-pivotally mount to vanes 23 thereon. Each of the long vanes 17 has a rearwardly extend= ing portion 31 (see Figures 2,- 6 and 10) provided on its one side with around projection 32 which fits into a suitable round hole provided in a metal link 33. The link 33 connects or ties the vanes 17 of the first set of vanes together for'movement in unison. A spring member 34 suitably held in place on divider 19, between the grills 11 and 12 (see Figures 2, 6 and 10), engages the projections 32 on vanes 17 to retain link 33 upon these projections'and to apply a slight pressure on vanes 17, thus atfording a resistance to movement of vanes 17 so that the vanes will remain in any one of a plurality of adjusted positions attained as will be hereinafter described. Each of the vanes 23 of the second set thereof has a round tapered stud-like portion 36 extending upwardly from the tail 27 thereon (see Figure 4). A thin metal strap 37 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart round holes, e'ach of'which receive the stud portion 36 011 vanes 23 (see Figure 2). Strap 37 forms a means of connecting or a link for tying the vanes 23 of the second set thereof to one another for movement in unison. A sheet metal lock nut 38, ofany conventional or suitable design, is tightly pressed upon the stud-like portion 36 of certain of the vanes. 2 3 (see Figures 2 and 7) to secure link'37 thereon. The axis Vanes 17 form or provide 'cated or, disposed in the same single straight line plane with the pivotal mounting projections -21-of vanes 17 of the fir t o va esi el i u ey a a es oft first et; hercahand g n l f e .iscwu 'set-thereof m y e of Que-ne -eon c ionan d fmolded a plastic rnaterialsuchas synthetic resins or the like; i

. Thguser of an air cooling andconditioning unit may 7 wish to adjust the position of one set of air deflecting vanesindependently of another 'setpf vanesfand/or may wish to adjust the position of-both sets of vanes simul-i taneously; To this end'and in accordance with theob jects of our invention we piyotally mount a levercon trgl actuator upon one of the long vanes 17 andproyide l the sarne with a connection, with one "of the vanes :23

so that it fer-ins, in efiect a manually. movable universal joint device. VA-lvane actuator lever, generally; indicated y the e enc c ara e .4 ,'ca p s alien-fitmen t ral portionl, an integral handleorknobr lzr extendeclv irom one 'sidethereotand an'integral 'shaftJikeIporr tion 43fextended from a side thereof opposite knob, 42,

7 is pivotally mounted as by'a pin 44 upon the'centr'alrnost vane 17 of the first set of vanes (see Figures '4 and This znounting in 44 is disposed inthe same straight line plane with theaxis of the pivotal rnounting projec terrvane 17 when the actuator is slipped thereovenl The end of shaft-like'portion 43 of the actuator, is'slotted Pas at 47 to provide'a pair'of legs which straddle and are a adapted to engage opposite sides of the central-most \,ane:23 'of Ethe second set of vanes (See FigureS); A it 7 guide'piece' SIFl catedEin the center :of' frame14 has legs '52 secured .itheretolby 'screws '53 and is prjovided r with around hole, fianged; as at 54 '(see' Figures '4' and 8),;whiclrreceives anietal sleeve 56, Sleeve 56 forms asoeliet-like bearing forthe ball-like central portion, 7 41 ofactuatoi: 4%. The central "guide piece 51 inaddia f tionto'angnienting the support of the yane'actuatoralSo has nieans thereon forniing socket-like bearing surfaces 7 for thecenter. portion-pf fthe' two vanes 17- above: and below the yanevupon'which the actuator 'ispivota1ly mounted; Inf-turned 'ealfs'57 on this piece 51am pro-'- vided'ewith Va' so cketiportion (see Figure 14). for receiving 7 formed integrally on'the' upper and lower vanest17, The T enlargement 58i-on these vanesjs upportedin the 'socnet 'pqliionfjo fears57,; increasesthe structural strength of raineabout its pivotal meaning in a clockwi'se direcion- Since al an s 1 ar t e g ther, y' lin of knob142 downwardly in *a verticalplane will rotate the vanes 17 in a counter-clockwise direction to direct air downwardly of grill 12'. ny moving the knob '42 of the common actuator 40 in a horizontal direction paralleling the vanes 17 the actuator pivots about pin 44 and its legs, adjacent slot 47 therein, engage and swing or rotate all the vancs 23,through link 37, in unison to direct the flow of air egressing from the grill to one side or the other or air cooling'unit 10. Thus the positionof the one 'setiof vanes 17 and the position of the other set of vanes 23 canfbe adjusted independently of one another; If it is'de sired to instantaneously swing all the vanes 17 and 23 of the sets thereof for directing air egressing from the'grill 12 into an angular combined up or downand sidewise-direction relative to unit lllthe knob 42 of the corfimon actuator 4,0 is moved at an angle torthe horizontal and to the vertical so as to simultaneously adjust the position of the setsof vanes'relation t Qu e hs ;From the foregoing,

it shouldi be apparent that we have provided an improved air outlet grill for an air congrill in a single straight line plane theactuator therefor can be pivotallyimou'nted on this sameplane and can be move'd to swing allthevanes simultaneously about i their pivotal mountings to thus eliminate the necessity of 1 niay'come within thescopeof theelaims which follow.

operatingtwo or 'more actuators or of swinging some of What is claimed is asifollows: a a 1. An air grill cornprising in combination, a substantially-rectangulai' framehavingan air passage therein,

a-first vanevextending along said frame and having its 7 ends at one' edge thereofpivotally mounted upon two opposedfisidesiof said frame 'foradirecting air through the i 'af short roundedenlargement 53 (see Figures 4 and '8) passage in one direction, a second vane extending along said frame transversely across said first vane for directing r hrouah sa drpass sa n anqth d iea s s c n "vanebeing disposed adjacent the'otheror' swingable edge of said first vane and having means extendingtherearonnd aad-pivota vmnun ed up o th rbp b ds des of said frame inthe same plane with the pivotal mountings of pariallelingthe extensionofvanesrl-r- Y-k l 10H plane} inter-mediate straighthorizontalirnovenients and otherrat a time. 1 a

f inisaccordance' withour' inventiom'it is now appropriate to explain the rnanner in which the position of the sets ofi vanes are {adjusted in unisonindependent of one anotheri or simultaneously with' each other. Byg rasping kn b. 42 of the common actuator 40 and applying an.up- 7 V v said vanes. ab t hei -p otal 'mquntin s, b ai 9 11 140 75 te se h eto in'art al Plane i b ast-sti n- Having descrihedithe structure ofa constructed fcatingor disposingthe'piYotal mountings of all the vanes t ofithejsetsl'liand n thereof in a single straight lineand or. locating thepivotal mounting point or pin 44 of the V vaneiactuatoron this straight'jsingledineplane the actuaton-4fl can also be moyed in' an-angular' direction or said first vane, a common actuator ongsaid grill pivotally mounted on said first vane and having an operative connection with said'second vane for moving said vanes. about their pivotal mountings, and saidcommon actuator being movable i elative'to said-frame in one plane to adjust the position of said first vane and movable in a difierent plane to adjust the position of said second vane. n'air r l" compr sing n m na aa stant y e an la fram s a aan a p s th r n, a fir t va x n ing l ng sa d frame n i sr ts nd a ne s er of pivct l y m u ed po ppos d i sides of said frame ior'directing air through the'passage in one directiorn a second vane extending along said frame transverselyacross sajidfirst vanefor directing air r i p sage in anot r ir t n, said sec nd 'i nountings :of said first vane, a co mnionactuator on said grill pivotally niounted on s aid first vane and havingjan operative connection with saidse cfond vane 'i or moving actuator heifigtniovable relative ma ds q 7, lane to adjust the position of said first vane and movable in a difierent plane to adjust the position of said second vane, and said common actuator being movable in a plane intermediate said one and said different planes to simultaneously adjust the position of both of said vanes.

3. An air grill comprising in combination, a substantially rectangular frame having an air passage therein, a first vane extending along said frame and being pivotally mounted upon two opposed sides thereof for directing air through the passage in one direction, a second vane extending along said frame transversely across said first vane for directing air through said passage in another direction, said second vane having means extending around said first vane and pivotally mounted upon two other opposed sides of said frame in the same plane with the pivotal mountings of said first vane, a common References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,850,822 Young Mar. 22, 1932 2,349,544 Fiedler May 23, 1944 2,365,319 Young Dec. 19, 1944 2,500,330 Stover Mar. 14, 1950 2,630,053 Kennedy Mar. 3, 1953 2,729,158 Wilfert Jan. 3, 1956 

